अनवांटेड डैडी // 2021 ड्राफ्ट

𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒑: 𝑴𝒂𝒆 𝑬𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒐 𝒌𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒚𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒕𝒊.

Antyeshti ke baad, sabhi log wahan se jaane lage, jisse jagah saaf aur shaant ho gayi. Achanak, ek shakhs taza kabr ke paas aaya aur patthar ki sil ko shunya aankhon se dekhne laga,

Mae Estacado, pyaari beti aur behen.

Usne apne kaale chashme utaare, haath mein ek laal gulab liye hue woh ghutno ke bal baith gaya,

Uss mein koi pachtava ya dosh ki bhavna nahi thi jab usne bolna shuru kiya,

“Tumhare paas sab kuch ho sakta tha, baby girl. Main tumhe ek rani ki tarah sir aankhon par bithata, lekin tum... tumne kabhi meri baat nahi suni ya mujhe mauka nahi diya. Aur dekho tumne kya kar dala, tumne yeh sab khud apne saath kiya hai... Aur sach kahun toh, mujhe tumse pyaar hone laga tha. Main tumse pyaar karta hoon, Mae, waqayi karta hoon. Aur ab jab tum chali gayi ho, tab bhi main tumse pyaar karta hoon, aur marte dum tak karta rahunga... Main tumse pyaar karta hoon, Mae.”

Kyle ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha, phir gulab ko chuma aur usse kafan par rakh kar khada ho gaya.

Usne kabristan mein ek gehri saans li, aur aakhri baar mud kar dekhte hue, Kyle chashme pehen kar wahan se chala gaya.

Ho sakta hai ki sab khatam ho gaya ho, lekin iska matlab yeh nahi ki Kyle ka junoon kabhi kam hoga. Mae ka khoobsurat chehra ab bhi uske zehen mein basa hai, uske sapno mein bhi, jaise-jaise saal beet rahe hain.

Woh ab bhi usse pyaar karta hai aur kabhi kisi aur se nahi karega......

Lekin phir uss jaise dikhne wale chehre ne uske junoon ko phir se jagah diya...

Athara saal baad / Mae Wilson.

Main tab tak daudti rahi jab tak paseene ki boondein mere maathe se tapakne nahi lagi. Mere seene mein dhadkan ki goonj meri tej hoti hui saanso ka natija thi, jaise-jaise main foot-path par aage badhti rahi. Suraj ki tez dhoop ne mere sharir ki garmi aur badha di, jisse mujhe aur bhi paseena aane laga.

Mujhe yeh pasand tha.

Apni roz ki jogging khatam karne ke baad, maine earbuds nikale aur apne pairon ki thakaan mitayi, kyunki mujhe pata tha ki aaj ki exercise puri ho gayi hai. Main kafi urjavan mehsoos kar rahi thi, aur phir main andar ki taraf gayi, thande paani ke liye. Khali kitchen mein ghus kar, maine fridge khola aur paani ki ek botal nikaali.

Maine tab tak paani piya jab tak botal khali nahi ho gayi, phir usse counter ke neeche bane recycling bin mein daal diya. Meri maa paryavaran ko lekar bahut gambhir hain, isliye woh chahti hain ki hum usse bachane ke liye apna yogdaan dein.

Durbhagya se, mere pita aksar unki icchaon ko an-dekha kar dete hain. Mujhe unhe dekh kar dukh hota hai—jis tarah woh maa ko dekhte hain, bilkul nafrat ya laparwahi se. Mujhe hairani nahi hogi agar unka koi chakkar chal raha ho; mahino se unhone ek-dusre ke liye koi pyaar nahi dikhaya hai.

Apne maa-baap ko aise dekh kar mujhe takleef hoti hai.

Tabhi, meri maa, Regina, kitchen mein aayi, ek haath mein khali chai ka cup aur dusre mein ek kitaab liye hue. Main unki iklauti aulad hoon, toh mujhe unke shehad jaise baal aur nazuk sharir mila hai, jo meri gori-gehu-a rangat ke saath bilkul sahi lagta hai. Mere pita se mujhe unki gehri grey aankhein mili hain.

Maine muskura kar kaha, "Hey."

Unhone mujhe ek pyari si muskaan ke saath dekha, "Hey beta, tum toh paseene se bura haal ho rahi ho," unhone chidaya.

Main khilkhila kar hasi, "Hug chahiye?" Unhone majak mein munh banaya,

"Main usse accha sad chuka chips kha lungi," maine haskar nakli muh banate hue kaha.

"Main nahane ja rahi hoon." Kitchen se nikalne wali hi thi ki maine pucha, "Dad kahan hain?"

Unhone thandi saans bhari aur apna cup bharne lagi. "Woh der raat tak kaam kar rahe hain," unki awaaz mein ek thakawant thi. Main chup rahi aur apne kamre ki taraf badh gayi, mujhe nahane ki zarurat thi. Ek thande shower ki.

Main aksar sochti hoon ki kya main ek galti thi jis wajah se unhe meri wajah se ek-saath rehna pada, aur woh bas chupchap meri maujudgi ko bardasht kar rahe hain, lekin yeh sirf mera sochna hai.

Main puchne se darti hoon ya shayad jawab jaanne se darti hoon.

Halaanki, meri maa ke saath mera rishta kafi achha aur nazdiki hai, toh shayad main bas bina wajah zyada soch rahi hoon.

Ek ghante baad, main naha kar nikli aur apne bistar par baith gayi, sirf boy-shorts aur ek dhila crop-top pehne hue, aur sar par toliya lapeta hua tha. Graduation ke baad meri aage ki padhai ki yojnayein tai hai; main bas zindagi ka aanand lena chahti hoon, naukri dhoondna aur duniya ghoomna chahti hoon.

Shayad akele rehna shuru kar doon.

Ek text message ki awaaz sunkar, maine apna phone uthaya, aur Jake ka naam dekh kar meri dhadkanein badh gayin. Woh ab bhi mujh par waisa hi asar karta hai, aur mujhe yeh pasand hai. Hum pichle dedh saal se ek-dusre ko date kar rahe hain,

Lekin durbhagya se, mere pita ko hamara rishta manzoor nahi hai. Sach kahun toh, Dad Jake se bahut nafrat karte hain, aur mujhe koi andaza nahi hai kyun. Jake toh bahut nek, gentleman aur parwah karne wala insaan hai; lekin unka irada badalne wala nahi hai. Yahan tak ki Maa bhi confuse hain, aur woh Jake ko bahut pasand karti hain.

Yeh bahut ajeeb hai.

'Main tumhe kab mil sakta hoon, baby?' Usne message kiya.

Maine sapno mein khote hue saans bhari, "Jald hi, mujhe tumhari yaad aa rahi hai... ummeed hai kal."

'Bas jab tak tumhare dad wahan na hon, aur mujhe tumhari yaad aur bhi zyada aa rahi hai.'

Maine uske message par frown kiya. Yeh bahut bura hai ki Dad use accept nahi karte. Isse hamare beech cheezein mushkil ho jati hain. Maine ek badi shirt pehni aur khane ke liye apne kamre se bahar nikli, aur jaise hi main dobara kitchen mein aayi, woh wahi the...

Mere pita hamesha ki tarah der se aaye the aur counter par apne liye wine daal rahe the. Jab unhone mujhe dekha, toh unki nazrein mere sharir ko aise ghoorne lagi ki main thand se kaamp uthi.

Maine barso se isse nafrat ki hai... mujhe lagta hai ki jab main solah saal ki hui, tab se woh mujhe kuch alag tarah se dekhne lage the. Unki ajeeb ghuran mujhe itna uncomfortable karti thi ki main wahan se bhaag jana chahti thi... Durbhagya se, main unke saath hi rehti hoon, aur main bahut hairan hoon ki woh aise unnatural taur par kyun ghoorte hain. Body language—unhe aisa nahi karna chahiye, khaas kar mere saath.

Ek beti ko apne pita ke liye aisa mehsoos nahi hona chahiye. Unka apna ek dabdaba hai jise mehsoos karke meri himmat jawab de jati thi.

Main ise nazar-andaz karne ki koshish karti hoon, par phir bhi yeh har tarah se mujhe prabhavit karta hai.

Mere aur mere pita ka rishta waisa nahi tha jaisa maa ke saath hai. Hum ladte hain, humare bicharon mein antar ke karan hum ek-dusre ko gusse se dekhte hain. Woh kabhi fair nahi hote.

Mere dad, Kyle... Jo woh chahte hain, woh hamesha hasil kar lete hain.